The Bubonic Plague
Hi all,
Greetings from Vang Vieng, Laos! Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who's writtien me, or posted on the site, it's so good to hear from back home, and to hear about people enjoying my website! Keep em coming ;) Secondly I'd like to tell you all about the not-so-wonderful part of Asia, known as travellers diarrhea... but first some good news! Kuang Si Falls. Wow. I've got some pictures and they're quite selfexplanatory - There's one of me in front of the falls (I'm not tanned yet, you might want to throw some sunglasses on?)
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4397/P1010006.JPG One of Kailyn in front of the falls (a little hazy but pretty cool nonetheless)
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4397/P1010007.JPG And one of us two and the three random French guys we rented the Tuk-Tuk (Taxi) with to get up to the falls
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4397/P1010008.JPG Cool trio of fellows, we enjoyed their company and a chance to practice our French, inferior as it was. My French was, however, better than their English :D This morning we got up at 6:30 and took the VIP bus to Vang Vieng, where I find myself now! Now I might further explain the concept of a VIP bus. I North America, VIP means Very Important Person, as far as I know. Here it seems to mean something closer to ... Very Intensely Packed. And so, we took the Very Intensely Packed bus, which took 7 hours to travel a mere 170 Kilometers - that's an average of 24 kph kids... I can, literally, run faster than that. Hell our bus would've been passed in a school zone. The main reason was the roads - imagine an x-ray of someone's intestines, add potholes, chickens, cows and running children, and put our bus on one end. Speaking of intestines... And now, what you've all been waiting for...? Travellers Diarrhea. Two words that mean so much. After witnessing Kailyn's battle, and fearing the worst for myself, I contracted Travellers Diarrhea two nights ago. If I could pinpoint a starting time, it would be about 8 pm. That's when I experienced the first of 4 distinct stages that I could identify. I should offer a disclaimer: The squeamish may not enjoy the next section of this post and may want to skip it to avoid contorted faces/terrible visuals/losing the will to travel. :) #1 - The Happy Runs. Hey, you're peeing out your bum, but everything else is fine! You can still eat and drink, and go about your daily activities with little more than frequent trips to the can. The main problem with this fist stage is the ominous cloud of questions over your head - what is this exactly? Whats it from? Will it stay like this? Maybe I'll get a tummyache? Can I still drink beer? #2 The Angry Runs. Okay, so... you're still peeing out of your bum, more frequently now, and you feel weak and uneasy. Your stomach is doing some turns but its not too bad, and you're thinking "Hey, this sucks, but honestly it's not that bad... I've been sicker at home. Hope it'll be done soon so I can keep on travelling". But in the back of your mind you're still fearing the worst - does it get nastier?... #3 The Bubonic Plague. Your bum is now a faucet, which seems to now be directly linked to your stomach. Water (which is the only thing you can force down now) goes straight from your mouth out the other end, seemingly bypassing all internal organs. Your stomach feels like an absolute mess, and rejects any solid food from whence it came. Cold sweats, fever, and hot sweats seem to rotate so that you never quite get used to one of them before the next arrives. You try to think of better places, but the only place that comes to mind is the bathroom... #4 The After Runs. The Bubonic Plague left even more quickly than it came, and you feel semi human now, although your stomach is still feeling the effects of the exodus it just endured. And, of course, you're still peeing readily out your bum. This seems to last about a day after you feel better, which is where I am now! The entire thing lasts almost EXACTLY 24 hours, to the minute. Amazing how long 24 hours can feel, especially when you don't sleep a wink :) At any rate, let's hope this is the last I experience of this nastiness! With restored health and a new understanding of Asia's wonders (sorta), I look forward to kayaking to Vientienne, and soon after, visiting the first of 2 ancient temples that promise to be absolutely breathtaking; Phnom Rung, in Thailand, which is only rivalled by the second; Angkor Wat of Cambodia. Mind you, they were built by the same people :) And so, I hope this post wasn't too graphic, I just had to share with you the intricacies of my adventure! Looking forward to reading the many colourful replies I'm sure to recieve after this one. Chris
Stairway to Heaven, The Mekong River and Jabba The Hutt
Sawat Dee! Here in Laos, you drop the "Krap". Oddly, my Mom's been telling me to do that for years... Anyway, we've achieved one more stamp in our passports, and crossed over to Laos. I'm writing now from Louang Prabang, where we arrived today on boat from Houay Xai, just accross the border. Ever wanted to be in two places at once? Well we managed to be nowhere at all. You sign out of Thailand, cross the river, and then sign into Laos. So for the 10 minutes you're on the Mekong River, I suppose that you are politically nonexistant, though I felt fine :) There we found a country much the same as Thailand, where when you purchase something, you can pay in various currencies. Want a bowl of fried rice with Chicken? That'll be about 80 cents American... or 30 Baht... or 8000 Kip (Laos currency - a tad inflated), which all ends up at about 1 dollar CAD. So we bought ourselves 400000 Kip. Quite the wad of cash. Just up from the currency exchange, in Houay Xai, there's a large Wat (Buddhist Temple) up on the hill in the middle of town. The song "Stairway to Heaven" comes to mind...
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4395/P1011595.JPG Here's probably the biggest drum I've ever seen, in a "Men Only" tower inside the temple. Kailyn is just out of the frame, pouting on the temple steps.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4395/P1011597.JPG Here's the gorgeous sunset that night.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4395/P1011604.JPG Here's a picture of Kailyn and I just before bed, testing out the timer function on her camera. I'm looking more and more like a miscreant every day...
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4395/P1011605.JPG The next morning we took a tour boat on the Mekong River. The thing is huge, and dirty as sin. At it's widest, I would estimate the Mekong at 350 metres, and it goes all the way through Laos (along the Thai border) and Cambodia before reaching the ocean. It was a comfortable ride on our cushy tour boat. So, have you ever wondered what happened to Jabba the Hutt after Star Wars? I mean what does an intergalactic mercenary do when he wants to retire. The answer - go to Laos! I even have proof - he was our tour guide! Here he is in all his glory, although I admit he's lost some weight (must be all that rice) - but the face is unmistakeable.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4396/P1011644.JPG We stopped for the night in a tiny village, of which I cannot remember the name, and I got to play some more soccer with random kids, this time on sand. Here is a picture of the kids (who were absolutely fascinated with the camera, and blond haired blue eyed Kailyn) with Kailyn, and a picture of us on the beach.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4396/P1011623.JPG http://www.geocities.com/spiker4396/P1011622.JPG Have any of you been looking for alcohol with a real bite to it? Something really... venemous? I think maybe this village moonshine-type-whisky goes a little too far.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4396/P1011652.JPG Finally, here's another sunset.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4396/P1011620.JPG So, much love from Kailyn and I and keep those emails coming, we love to hear from home! Also, feel free to comment on the site, and remember that if pictures aren't working, just wait till tomorrow :) Hey, it's annoying, but it's FREE! Spiker
Chiang Rai, oh my!
Sawadee Krap!
In case you're a little slow, thats Thai for hello. So, I'm now way up in the north of Thailand, in Chiang Rai. Fantastic city. We stayed at a place called Garden Guest House, it was a small, cozy place a little off the beaten track, in a corner of town. The guy who owns it is named San, quite a nice guy - then again, so is everyone! I've never met so many happy, smiling, carefree people in my entire life; and I've only been here a week. Last night Chris (the Swede I mentioned earlier) and I bought a little soccer ball for 5 bucks and went down to a field to play for a while. We ended up playing a game of pickup soccer with about 10 teenage Thai kids, they went to school somewhere nearby. I cannot explain in words how amazing it was to play a game of pickup soccer with such fantastic people. I even scored a few goals ;) Something else I've noticed here is the difficulty Thais seem to have translating their language into roman lettering. Sometimes even when they get it right, it's still rather strange, and at times, quite funny. Here's an example I stumbled upon in one of the 7 billion 7-11's in Thailand.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4394/P1011582.JPG The idea of a yellow surprise in my drinking water is slightly worrying, but I haven't yet been ill :) The oral translation has it's flaws as well, as we discovered when we heard a Thai band covering a song by The Police. Their version was actually quite good, until the chorus: "Every move you make, every smile you fake, I'll be
washing you" Hmm... although a friendly gesture, I decided to shower by my self... The live music here is quite good, I even got a chance to play some drums at a small pub thingy, it was great!
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4394/P1011578.JPG Walking past a buddhist temple, we saw this.... dragon-man-thing
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4394/P1011583.JPG And finally, a picture of us with our good travelling buddies, the Swedes, whom we'll be leaving today :(
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4394/P1011587.JPG Hopefully we'll be meeting up with them on the southern islands for some more multicultural drinking :D As for Kailyn and me, we're heading over to Laos right away, and we'll be posting some more pics in a few days! Much love, keep safe and enjoy the snow :) Sawadee Krap!
Chaing Mai and Doi Inthanon
Hi again people!
Just got back from our trek into Doi Inthanon (doi means mountain range). Absolutely amazing. Once again, we have so many pictures and so much to say that we can't possibly fit it all in here. I'll try anyway! We left Bangkok on the night train to Chiang Mai, which was actually a great sleep, and we got here at about 9 am, and we were picked up and taken to our hotel. It's actually pretty nice, compared to the one we had in Bangkok (not that it was bad). We had a private bathroom! So, you're thinking - shower, toilet, sink, mirror. Well, you're absolutely right! The trick is that they managed to fit it all into a room the size of a closet. Technically you could shower, number 2 , and brush your teeth all at once, if you wanted to save time. From there, on to the mountains! Got some incredible pictures which I'll throw on the end of this post. Here's the first picture, it's of our guide, Mr. Dong. He made us call him Ding Dong.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4392/P1011482.JPG He's playing something called a Dehna (spelling?), it was really cool. This picture was taken in the village where we stayed on that first day. That night we slept on the hardest, coldest bed I've ever experienced, and started off again in the morning to a waterfall, where we spent the next night. Here's the waterfall, from the top.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4392/P1011494.JPG Here's a picture of one of our not-so-close friends we spent the night with.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4392/P1011502.JPG Here's the second waterfall we saw, from the inside
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4392/P1011503.JPG And from the outside
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4392/P1011505.JPG Here's a picture of the whole group of us trekkers, minus Ding Dong, who's taking the picture. From far left - Gay 40 year old German couple, Me and Kailyn, American couple, Swedish couple (Chris and Josephine, we'll be travelling with them to Chiang Rai, where we head into Laos!)
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4393/P1011509.JPG Now the coolest part of our trip - riding elephants. Wow. This is something I will never forget. And for anyone who was wondering - how does one go about controlling an animal that weighs many tons, and could throw you around like a rag doll? Answer - you don't! :D
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4393/P1011513.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4393/P1011521.JPG Last but not least on our trek, and most relaxing (until we smoked a rock and I almost bailed), was bamboo rafting.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4393/P1011524.JPG And lastly, perhaps my favourite picture, here is proof that MacDonalds transcends all Borders.
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4393/P1011526.JPG That is one crazy Ronald McDonald. Our next post may be a few days, even a week away, depending on availability of the internet in Laos. From Chiang Rai, we go to Chiang Kong, then cross the border into Laos, take a boat down the Me Kong River, to Louang Prabang (Here we will likely rent motorscooters and head to the waterfalls just outside of town), then on to Vang Vienne, and finally the capitol of Laos, Vientienne, where I'm sure we'll find some internet. We're having the time of our lives down here and we hope you're all in good health. Keep those emails and posts coming, we love to hear from you. Love you all, talk to you soon!
So much to see, so little time
Hi again people! Hope everyone's doin well, I know I am. We went to like 15 million temples yesterday, including the standing buddha, the reclining buddha, and the emerald buddha. Amzzing stuff... but see for yourself! The picture through the window is of the emerald buddha, it's as close as we could get to the thing without being shot :) Anyway, I've got more to say than I could ever write in this small space. The first couple days have been a little tough, and both Kailyn are still feeling a bit taken aback. Bangkok is absolutely nuts, but we're doin allright! Tonight we leave for ChiangMai, on the overnight train. Then tomorrow we start our trek into the mountains, where we get to live with hill people, ride elephants, go river rafting (sorta), and poo in the bushes. I can't wait, and it'll be nice to find some people who are doing the same thing as we are. Hi to our families and friends, you'll be getting lots more pictures soon! Spiker
(So, these are the 3 pics I've chosen to put up, out of about 40 that we've taken so far. Hope you like!
http://www.geocities.com/spiker4391/P1011407.JPG http://www.geocities.com/spiker4391/P1011412.JPG http://www.geocities.com/spiker4391/P1011425.JPG Hope these work, if they don't just give it an hour or a day, geocities has a download limit)
Bangkok
Well hi everyone!
17 hours of travel and I'm in Bangkok. The flight was bad but bearable, and Kailyn and I have been exploring Bangkok for a couple days now. This city is unreal; never have I seen someplace so freaking busy. Nonstop traffic, with ten million motorbikes and scooters jutting in and out of lanes, between cars, past pedestrians. Now the word pedestrian may be slightly misleading - the term "moving target" might be more appropriate. At any rate, we're both doing well over here so far, enjoying Bangkok in all it's insanity. And of course taking pictures! I'll try to post a few before we leave here, but I don't hve time right now - today we're headed off to the Royal Palace, where we'll take some more lovely pics. There is so much to say about Bangkok I can't even remember it all, the people are so friendly (sometimes too friendly), the scenery ranges from 45 metre standing buddhas to ghetto shacks to huge palaces. Right now we're on Khao San road, staying in a hostel for 5 bucks a night. Wish you're all having a great a time as Kailyn and I are, and I'll post again soon! Spiker & Kailyn
'Twas the day before Thailand...
One day left... am I excited? Yes. I think Kailyn is too, although I can't tell; she's bouncing off the walls so fast I can't see her face. Right now we're staying with Kailyn's relatives in Vancouver. They're wonderful people, and this is a great way to start our trip - they've got a pool, a hot tub, a sauna, a pool table, etc etc... I think the only thing they're missing is a midget butler, like in those Bond films. Maybe I'll mail one back?... (just kidding) So, I'll keep this short and sweet; the next time you read a new post on this website, it will be from Thailand! Fantastic! So, to all of you in Calgary, enjoy your forecasted -35 degree weather, and to all of you in Kelowna, enjoy the 4 feet of snow that's now in your backyards and driveways. Think of me often, and remember - I've moved on to a warmer place :) Spiker
